The subject matter herein relates generally to a light consolidation assembly for light pipes.
Current lighting applications use a light source, such as a light emitting diode (LED), and a light pipe to distribute the light in the desired configuration. Such lighting applications may include, for example, automotive interior ambient lighting, automotive exterior lighting, lighting in household devices, and the like. The light pipe is typically a cylindrical, transparent structure used to channel or transmit the light longitudinally along the length of the light pipe by internal reflection. In some applications, it is desirable for an installed light system to have a dual light capability. For example, it is desirable for the light system to be able to switch between at least two colors of light emanating through the light pipe. Such a lighting system in an automobile application, for example, may allow a passenger to change colors of the light by a switch on a user interface that controls the output of one or more light sources. In typical automotive lighting applications, to change the color in linear lighting, the light system must be uninstalled, disassembled, and the light driver replaced, which is time and energy intensive and inefficient. Another known way to achieve dual light capability is to assemble two different light systems side by side, each system having a different color of light, and only provide power to one system at a time. However, installing two lighting systems to provide only a single light at a time is bulky and costly.
A need remains for a lighting system with the capability to repeatably switch between at least two colors of light in a single light pipe.